


we'll be alright

by emilycass



Category: Free!
Genre: Cuddling, Dreams, Fluff and Angst, Kissing, M/M, Tickling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-23
Updated: 2014-08-23
Packaged: 2018-02-14 08:57:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2185623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emilycass/pseuds/emilycass
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rin removes Sousuke's right shoulder from the confines of his turquoise-colored jacket and places a gentle kiss upon it. "I'm kissing the pain away," he answers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	we'll be alright

**Author's Note:**

> best read while listening to "oh my dear" by tenth avenue north  
> probably contains a lot of grammatical error and typos because I didn't proofread this
> 
> sousuke and rin are darlings and should be protected at all times

A melancholic song is playing in Sousuke's iPod as he lays his head on Rin's chest, listening to the steady beat of Rin's heart that seemed to blend in to the song he was listening to. 

> Oh, my dear, I'll wait for you
> 
> Grace tonight will pull us through

His tears already stopped coming out but his eyes are still puffy from crying. He had told Rin about his injury, about the heavy anchor dragging him down. It has already been said and done and they've already cried and screamed until the heavy weight in their chests dissipated and ultimately faded. It was five in the morning, three hours after their confrontation, three long hours of quiet. The monotonous hum of the air conditioning unit pervades the deafening silence. 

His body is currently facing to the left to put his weight on his left shoulder instead of his right. Rin is tenderly stroking his right arm, following the gentle slopes of his muscles until he reaches his shoulder and proceeds to touch Sousuke's neck and feels his veins pulse with a steady beat. Rin touches his hair, wincing when its short strands poke the rough pads of his fingers, and spreads his fingers upon it, messing it up a little. 

"Hey," Rin breathes out, finally breaking the silence. Sousuke snuggles closer to Rin, if that was even possible, and presses his face against Rin's sweater that smells like burned vanilla. He breathes in the sweet scent and closes his eyes. He didn't want Rin to see his puffy eyes and nose probably oozing with snot. He didn't want Rin to see him in this unappealing state. But most of all, he didn't want Rin to see him this broken. 

> Until the tears have left your eyes
> 
> Until the fears can sleep at night

Rin's eyes are also puffy from crying and his throat was dried up from screaming. His auburn hair, normally fixed up in a low ponytail, is spread messily on the pillow. He must look like a mess right now, but he couldn't care less, all he cares about is making Sousuke calm down and letting him sleep. His right arm is numb from supporting Sousuke's weight for three whole hours. He can feel his arm muscles contract as little spikes seemed to stab the insides of his bicep - but this must be nothing compared to what Sousuke feels when he swims butterfly with an injured shoulder. This must be nothing compared to the searing pain Sousuke felt when Rin transferred to Iwatobi, when Rin moved to Australia to chase his dream, and when he thought that Rin had failed to remember him for five years, thought that Rin was blinded by his own internal insecurities that he had forgotten he has a friend he could run to all this time.

But Rin didn't forget, he always thought of Sousuke during those moments when he was alone, silently loathing himself and his seemingly inevitable fate to always lose. _Sousuke must be really good in butterfly now, he must be winning all the races he's entered._

 _Maybe he should chase my father's dream for me instead_ , Rin had thought bitterly years ago. 

And then Sousuke transferred to Samezuka, bringing with him the affectionate smile he only gives to Rin. From then on, Sousuke had always been by his side, watching, guiding, and accompanying him throughout the day. Rin didn't know it was possible to still be this close to someone after not seeing them for years. Then, three hours earlier, Sousuke admitted that he transferred because of Rin, he transferred because he had finally found Rin after seeing him in the relay that happened a year ago, but most importantly - he transferred because he wanted to spend the last year of his swimming career with Rin.

_Why me? Why are you always chasing after me?_

> _"Because I love you, Rin! You were the one who taught me how to swim, how to dream, how to be alive, you were the one who showed me that I can't be alone, nobody can be. And I-I need you to understand I want to swim with you for the last time, I need you to know that I-," Sousuke had screamed to him. Rin had been clutching the soft fabric of Sousuke's jacket as his head hung low, letting his tears flow freely from his face. Rin had looked up, his swollen eyes widening at the sight of his best friend crying. It was Rin's first time to see Sousuke cry._

_I don't deserve you_ , Rin thinks as he holds Sousuke's hand that was pressed to his side. Rin didn't really think about his feelings towards his best friend, he thought that the racing of his heart in his chest whenever he sees Sousuke was just normal, a typical reaction whenever you see your best friend around. He thought it was a feeling of happiness due to a presence of something familiar - little did he know that it was a feeling of affection towards Sousuke. And now that he realized it, he thinks that maybe, it isn't too late to start over.

> Until the demons that you're scared of disappear inside
> 
> Until this guilt begins to crack

Sousuke feels Rin shift and roll both of them over until Sousuke is lying on his back against the soft cushion of Rin's bed and Rin is hovering over him, barely covering his body from the soft light emanating from the window, and straddles his waist. His earphones fall from the crooks of his ears as Rin places his hands on either side of his head. 

"Rin...?" He hates how his voice cracks as he says Rin's name.

Rin shushes him with a soft kiss on his lips. He proceeds to mouth Sousuke's neck and nips his adam's apple. He places little kisses on Sousuke's collar bones as he massages his biceps. 

"Rin, what are y-," Sousuke's whisper is cut short when Rin kisses him again. 

Rin removes Sousuke's right shoulder from the confines of his turquoise-colored jacket and places a gentle kiss upon it. "I'm kissing the pain away," he answers. Rin cups both of Sousuke's cheeks with his hands and lightly puts his forehead upon Sousuke's - blood red eyes meet gorgeous blue green ones that remind him of the sea. His cheeks are heating up, suddenly embarrassed of what he did. He pulls himself away from him but Sousuke suddenly lurches forward and wraps his strong arms around his waist and sits up, forcing Rin to sit snugly on his lap. 

Sousuke brushes the back of his hand against Rin's cheek, adding just enough pressure to ensure that the contact couldn't be mistaken for anything but intentional. Rin freezes. Sousuke abruptly removes his hand from Rin's cheek, as if the coldness of Rin's cheek stung his hand but Rin quickly catches his wrist and moves forward to kiss him again. Sousuke gasps and stiffens slightly as Rin claims his mouth, but then eventually sinks into him, meeting his impassioned embrace with fiery acceptance.

Sousuke tightens his grip around Rin's lower back. Rin sighs into his mouth as Sousuke devoures him, the heat of his breath fanning Sousuke's nerve endings into an apocalyptic inferno of craving. 

He wanted this for so long, wanted Rin to notice him, to touch Rin in ways that none of the other boys can. He wanted to wrap Rin in his arms and let his  heat permeate to the other's skin until they become one - like how the orange tinted sky bleeds to the horizon to meet the gentle slopes of the blue ocean and creates a gradient of pure beauty.

He wanted Rin for _so_ long. 

He lifts the edge of Rin's sweater up and feels Rin's skin prickle as he slides his hands up to the expanse of his back. He moves his hand to Rin's side and presses his fingers upon his ribs. Rin breaks away from their kiss, gasping and giggling. 

"Stop that," he pleads as Sousuke continues to press the spots he knows would make Rin laugh until tears form in his eyes. Rin squirms against his lap and tries to suppress his giggling, but ends up bursting into laughter. Sousuke pushes Rin backwards and continues to tickle his sides. Rin helplessly struggles to get away from Sousuke but realizes he can't and gives up - letting his body slack against the sheets and his laughter replace the loud thrumming of the air conditioning unit that previously filled the room with its sound. 

Sousuke stops tickling Rin, leaving him panting with cheeks flushed and eyes already threatening to produce tears. "Sorry, I couldn't help it," Sousuke says. He presses a light kiss on Rin's forehead and slumps down the bed, his chest crashing into the soft cushion, momentarily cutting off his breathing. 

"Hey, Sousuke, let's sleep now, m'tired," Rin says. Sousuke turns his head to Rin's direction and Rin pokes his cheek. Sousuke hums in agreement. They both close their eyes, feeling the warmth of sunlight starting to seep through the window and into their clothes. Rin reaches for Sousuke's hand and laces their fingers together, their palms kissing as their breathing falls to an even pace.

They haven't talked about what they would do in the future because of this change of events, they haven't figured out what they are to each other or how they would tell the others about this yet - but as they hear the muffled music from Sousuke's iPod long forgotten on the pillow as they held hands and enjoy each other's warmth, they both think that maybe, all of those can wait. 

> And the weight falls from your back
> 
> Oh, my dear, I'll keep you in my arms tonight

____________________

That morning, Sousuke dreams of floating in a dark void of water. 

He cannot see anything, he knows he shouldn't be able to breathe but he feels the water come in and out of his mouth and fill his lungs with the painful pressure of water. His skin prickles under the freezing temperature of water, making his body feel numb. He cannot move his body, he is alone floating in the middle of nowhere - doing nothing, seeing nothing,  _feeling_ nothing.

And then, he begins to sink.

His right shoulder falls first, as if an anchor is tied to it, and his whole body follows - sinking, sinking, disappearing.

He closes his eyes and lets himself fall into the depths of nothingness, feeling more alone than he has ever felt before. 

_Is this how it ends?_

He feels a warm hand wrap around his wrist and pull him back up. He opens his eyes to a blinding vibrance and a shocking display of red hair. A boy smiles at him as he pulls him away from the darkness and into the boy's own light. Sousuke can see nothing but the boy enveloped in an ethereal glow, with his lips forming a wide grin and bright red hair messily tousled by the harsh pressure of water. The boy pulls him to his arms and whispers, "We'll be alright."

And truthfully, Sousuke believes they will be. 

**Author's Note:**

> I just really needed to get this out of my mind
> 
> thanks for reading! c:


End file.
